PCB announces pay hikes for central contract players

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced pay hikes for its centrally contracted players with effect from January this year. A PCB source said the centrally contracted players would be given a hike of 25 per cent in their monthly retainers in all the three grades and the Pakistan cricketers' Test match fees has also been increased by 25 per cent.

The One-day International and the T20 match fees was also increased by 10 per cent. Surprisingly, the board has failed to announce the list of contracted players even though it has been delayed by 5 months. According to a source in the board, the list of new contracted players would be announced only after the conclusion of the summer training camp, which ends next month.

"The new central contracts and revision in payments will be effective from 1st January, 2014. The revisions have been finalised in consultations with senior players of the Pakistan team. The names of the players who will be offered contracts and their categories will be finalised after the conclusion of the ongoing camp in Lahore," PCB stated.

The list of centrally contracted players was supposed to be announced in January, but for the last 2 years there has been some delay in releasing the list. "The idea is, by that time head coach Waqar Younis would also take charge and secondly, the fitness reports of all the probable players would be available to the selectors and team management after the month-long training camp," the source said.

The board said the system of bonuses has also been revised to give incentives to outstanding individual performances and series wins. It also said that the board will be releasing up to 50 per cent of those players' remunerations to those who have represented Pakistan in international matches since January 2014.